When you live in a glass house, you shouldn't throw stones
The Hayworth and McCain campaigns should take that to heart.
Enter J.D. Hayworth and his new rock to hurl at Senator John McCain: a video of the senator in a man-tastic embrace with a convicted ponzi-schemer.
Check out the video after the jump.
The man on the other end of the hug is Scott Rothstein, a former contributor to McCain's failed presidential campaign who is serving 50 years in prison for running an elaborate ponzi scheme.
"One recently discovered and never-before released video shows the two men giving each other a 'man-hug', shaking hands, and slapping backs in a bar while felon Scott Rothstein puffs on a cigar. Another tape shows McCain at Rothstein's home with supporters," says Hayworth campaign spokesman Mark Sanders.
Hayworth's new ad seems to almost suggest some sort of man-crush between McCain and Rothstein, with the hint of a man-cation to New Hampshire, and Rothstein gushing over the idea saying, "I'd go anywhere with you anywhere, senator."
And we all know how J.D. feels about the gays -- and horses, for that matter.
Hayworth claims Rothstein raised more than $1 million for McCain's campaign before his conviction for swindling billions of dollars from investors.
When confronted with the connection to Rothstein, the McCain campaign said, "John McCain couldn't pick [Rothstein] out of a lineup." But Hayworth says that's a lie, that McCain and Rothstein are old pals.
"The tapes don't lie, McCain does," Sanders says. "These men were friends, good friends. In fact, in one segment of the tape, McCain thanks Rothstein for his 'friendship and tremendous support.'"
We contacted McCain campaign spokesman Brian Rogers to see if "The Maverick" remembers Rothstein now that Hayworth's raised such a stink about him, but he didn't immediately get back to us.
UPDATE: Rogers got back to us. Click here for update.
In any event, Hayworth's campaign says if McCain doesn't recognize Rothstein now, maybe his memory will be jogged in the upcoming debates.
"The Senator thinks he is above the law, but he will have to explain his ignorance of who his friends are and apologize to the people of Arizona in the upcoming debates for letting them down by consorting with criminals," Sanders says.
If that's the case, we hear Jack Abramoff's on his way outta the joint. Maybe he could stop by Phoenix for one of the debates and tell us what he knows about J.D. If he's allowed to leave the Maryland, that is.
